24 August 1 • 2019
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NCSY Bids Farewell to 
Lucky Winner Lichtig

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ROCHEL BURSTYN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
D

etroit NCSY is bidding fare-
well to the Lichtig family, 
who are moving back to their 
native England in August, with plans 
to join Aish U.K.
“Dovid Lichtig came to Detroit nine 
years ago as a rookie; NCSY was his 
first job,” said Rabbi Tzali Freedman, 
director of NCSY in North America 
for 27 years. 
Rabbi Lichtig, 34, serves as associ-
ate regional director. 
At the annual NCSY Garden 
Dinner fundraiser June 18 at the 
Southfield home of Chayala Levitz, 
Molly Horwitz, 18, 
spoke about Lichtig. 
She followed her three 
older brothers, who 
all had been involved 
with NCSY. With 
Lichtig’
s support, Molly 
had taken the reins 
of NCSY programs 
in Windsor, which her bother Noah 
spearheaded five years ago. 
Of the Lichtigs, Molly said, “They 
are great at what they do … They 
have a way of connecting with people, 
not just as mentors, but as friends.”
Molly shared that early last year, 
Noah asked Lichtig to purchase a raf-
fle ticket for his Israeli yeshivah. The 
prize: two round-trip tickets to Israel. 
Lichtig did so, and joked, “If I win, 
maybe I’
ll come to your wedding!” 
Noah laughed; he wasn’
t even dating 
at the time.
Amazingly, Lichtig won the raffle.
A few weeks later, Noah called 
Lichtig again. “I knew they were hav-
ing another raffle, so I figured he was 
calling to solicit some more,” Lichtig 
shared. But that wasn’
t it. Luck had 
struck twice — Noah was engaged to 

his principal’
s daughter.
Lichtig was able to keep his jok-
ing promise. In November 2018, he 
joined the Horwitzes in Israel and 
participated in the wedding, alongside 
many of “his” NCSYers.
Although Lichtig is excited to live 
closer to his extended family, his 
leave-taking is bittersweet. His wife, 
Chavi, 30, and their children, Shira, 
10, Nosson, 8, Avital, 6, and Rachel, 2, 
have grown used to calling Oak Park 
“home.” 
“It’
s been an incredible nine years. 
We’
ve created such wonderful rela-
tionships, and we’
ve become part of 
such a warm community,” Lichtig 
said.
Along with thanking the Lichtigs 
for their hard work and dedication, 
and honoring Noah Klein, NCSY’
s 
director of operations for 20 years, 
scholarships also were awarded. 
Recipients were Daniel Shamayev, 18, 
who is heading on a gap year to Israel, 
and Raphael Ifraimov, 16, who will 
be attending the beginner track of the 
NCSY summer Kollel. 
NCSY offers informal Jewish 
education and summer programs in 
Israel for teens, affording junior high 
and high school students of all back-
grounds an opportunity to learn more 
about Israel and their Jewish heritage 
and identity. 
During his years in Detroit, Lichtig 
has engaged more than 1,900 local 
teens, and helped foster in them a 
passion for Judaism, Israel and a sense 
of communal responsibility.
“The magic of NCSY is unparal-
leled anywhere in the world,” Lichtig 
said. “The goal of NCSY is to inspire 
the Jewish future, but what it accom-
plishes inspires me.” ■ 

Molly Horwitz

PHOTOS BY AARON PERGAMENT

Rabbi Tzali Freedman, Rabbi Dovid 

Lichtig and Chavi Lichtig

Honoree Raffi Ifraimov, Susanna Ifraimov, Tarana Shamayev, 

honoree Daniel Shamayev, Rabbis Dovid Lichtig, Jason 

Cohen and Tzali Freedman

The opening of a Burgerim restau-
rant in Dearborn has been can-
celed because of backlash from the 
Arab-American community there 
unhappy with the burger 
company’
s Israeli roots, 
the Detroit Free Press 
reported. 
Burgerim, which 
bills itself as “the fastest 
growing burger chain 
in the country” on its 
website, means “many burgers” in 
Hebrew. The chain specializes in 
mini burgers of different types of 
meat, including lamb and veggies 
option. The chain, now headquar-
tered in Encino, Calif., was founded 
in Tel Aviv.

Franchisee Sam Zahr, a Lebanese 
American who lives in Dearborn, 
told the Free Press he was “too 
worried to open the restaurant on 
Greenfield Road 
after his kids were 
bullied and he 
received threatening 
messages.” 
Zahr owns a 
Burgerim location in 
Royal Oak that has 
not garnered much opposition. He 
told the Freep he decided to walk 
away from the Dearborn location 
because he has two other scheduled 
openings this month in Oak Park 
and Redford Township. 

Burgerim Not Coming to Dearborn

Judge Cohn and ‘
Marilyn Monroe’

On July 23, more than 100 people 
attended an open house at the U.S. 
District Court in Detroit in honor of 
Judge Avern Cohn’
s 40 years on the 
federal bench and his 95th birthday. 
 It was a fine affair, set in the 
judge’
s own courtroom. It began 
with a live television feed from the 
U.S. House where Congressman 
Andy Levin honored Judge Cohn, 
thereby entering Cohn’
s legacy into 
the official history of Congress. This 
was followed by tributes from Chief 
Judge Denise Page Hood and Judges 
Sean F. Cox, Paul D. Borman and 
Arthur Tarnow, as well as Detroit 
Mayor Mike Duggan and retired 
senator and congressman respec-
tively, Carl and Sander Levin. 
With a strong, energetic voice, 
Judge Cohn made closing remarks, 
thanking all who attended. The 
highlight of the day was, perhaps, 
the special guest: Marilyn Monroe 

(an impersonator, to be sure) who 
sang “Happy Birthday” to Judge 
Cohn. 
All participants and guests came 
to the same conclusion: Judge Cohn 
is one of the court’
s intellectuals 
who always pursues fairness and 
justice and, moreover, that he is still 
going strong.

— Mike Smith

COURTESY OF U.S. DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT

Happy 95th Birthday, Judge Cohn

The JCC’
s Adult Jewish Learning 
Department, JLearn (formerly 
FedEd), is offering a sneak peek of 
its 2019-2020 instructors Monday, 
Aug. 19, at the Max M. Fisher 
Federation building. There will be 
two sessions: 9:30 a.m.-11:50 a.m. 
and 7-8:30 p.m.

The event is free of charge and 
registration is required. To register 
and for more information, contact 
(248) 205-2557 or ccomensky@
jccdet.org. The complete catalog 
can be found at jccdet.org/JLearn.

Meet the Instructors